In the world of gaming on Linux, using tools like Steam with Proton and Lutris with Wine can significantly enhance your experience by allowing you to play Windows-exclusive games. However, sometimes games require specific dependencies to run smoothly. This guide will walk you through the process of adding games to both Steam and Lutris, as well as how to install the necessary dependencies using information from SteamDB.

Part 1: Adding Games to Steam with Proton

1. Install Steam:

   • If you haven't already, download Steam from the Steam website. Install, run, and log in.

2. Get the Game:

   • To add and run the game on Steam, you need to have the game files ready. You are responsible for how you get the files. I prefer these two places, as the games come pre-installed:
     • Place ONE
     • Place TWO

3. Add the Game:

   • Go to your "Library" and click on "Add a Game" at the bottom left.
   • Select "Add a Non-Steam Game".
   • Browse and select the game you want to add, or click "Browse" to find the .exe file for the game.

   

4. Launch the Game with Proton:

   • Right-click on the game in your library and select "Properties".
   • Click "Compatibility" --> Tick the box for "Force use of a specific SteamPlay-compatibility tool".
   • Choose the latest Proton 9.X version from the list.
   • The game will now launch properly if it doesn't need a specific dependency. If it does, an error message will pop up telling you so.

   

Part 3: Installing Dependencies via SteamDB

So you've done all the steps above and now you've launched the game. But an error message comes up saying there are missing components required to run the game. Take note of what the message says. In my example below, we see the missing component is Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime. It is a common dependency often required by modern games.

Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime is also called VC Redist or by its install file name vcrun20XX.exe and there are a lot of different editions of VC Redist. To find out which one you need, do the following:

1. Go to SteamDB:

   • Visit SteamDB and search for the game you want to install dependencies for.

2. Navigate to the "Depots" Tab:

   • Click on the "Depots" tab to see a list of dependencies that the game uses.

3. Identify Dependencies:

   • You took note of the "missing component" a.k.a. dependency you needed required by the game. It was Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime. And you now know it is also commonly known as VC Redist. Therefore, you are looking for something similar.
   • In the image below, the information we find that is matching what we are looking for is: VC 2022 Redist. Take note of this.

   

Part 4: Installing Dependencies with Protontricks

1. Install Protontricks:

   • If you don't have Protontricks installed, you can install them via the Discovery Store:

   

2. Run Protontricks/Winetricks:

   • Make sure to have run the game at least once with Proton compatibility (see Step 2 Part 4). This creates the necessary files and folders for Proton to manage the game. It is in those folders Protontricks will install the dependencies.
   • Choose the game you mean to install dependency for.

   

3. Install Dependencies:

   • Choose Select the default wineprefix

   

   • Choose Install a Windows DLL or component

   

   • Search for and select the dependencies that match those you noted from SteamDB. You might need to scroll down a bit. In this case, we're looking for something vcrun2022.

   

   After pressing okay, it might take some seconds to load up. There might also be a window popping up saying SHA256 mismatch. You can continue as the different IDs of the installers differ between the downloaded and expected. This is because Protontricks once was set to expect a different version of the installer. The current installer has since been updated.

   • Two installer windows will now pop up; Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 (x86) and Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 (x64) respectively. Install both.

   

   • You can now close/cancel your way out of Protontricks and try to launch the game. You will most likely not have to install more than one set of dependencies (but it may happen, rarely).

   • The game we've now downloaded, installed, and installed dependencies for now runs! Smooth as butter!